His commitment to the profession and early career opportunities have helped him fulfil the requirements of Fellow, to which he was elected aged 28 years and two months.
Fellowship is the Institution’s highest class of membership and requires an engineer to hold a position of senior responsibility in their chosen area of mechanical engineering, as well as meet criteria that test their leadership, influencing and strategic qualities.
What inspired you to pursue a career in engineering?
From a very young age I have been interested in how things operate, this was bolstered by my father who worked in the automotive industry. I had set my sights on a career in engineering, even if I didn’t know that myself at the time. My hometown Crewe has an incredible railway industry heritage, and Bentley Motors is one of the largest employers, so the town is heavily engineering focused.
After school I was unsure whether an engineering apprenticeship or further education would suit me best, but as I had an aspiration to leave my hometown, I felt further education would provide those opportunities.
Tell us about your current role and your journey to getting this job role?
I gained a first-class MEng (Hons) in Motorsports Engineering at the University of Central Lancashire. Rather than pursuing motorsports in 2015, I undertook a mechanical engineering graduate programme with Babcock International.
This led to a Senior Project Engineer role in 2017 working on a substantial upgrade to a floating asset which has national strategic importance, and in 2019 to the role of Project Manager responsible for the full engineering output.
In 2020 I moved into the role of Senior Project Manager, responsible for engineering upgrades across our Facilities. In the following year I was seconded into a strategic team where I led an engineering study into an open architecture/modular asset philosophy which could be adopted by our facilities to ensure they are fit for future demand.
I am the IMechE Industrial Liaison Officer for Babcock International, supporting my colleagues in pursuing professional registration with the IMechE.
Why did you want to become a Chartered Engineer with the Institution?
I have wanted to become a Chartered Engineer since university, where I attended a talk by an IMechE representative in my first year. Since then, I aspired to become Chartered as it demonstrates my ability and competence as an engineer at an internationally recognised level. I was fortunate that Babcock International provide a plethora of support and career opportunities to help their employees attain professional registration.
Why did you decide to apply for Fellowship?
Fellowship was not something that was on my radar until I attended my interview for CEng, and the interview facilitator recommended that I consider Fellowship as I already demonstrated a lot of the requirements.
I had always considered Fellow status as something you can only achieve later in your career, this of course is a common misconception! Following a review, I was content that I could clearly demonstrate the requirements, so I set about compiling an application. I was extremely proud when I received news of a successful application in 2021, this was made even greater when I was informed, I was the Institution’s youngest Fellow.
What support did you receive from the Institution when you decided to apply for Fellow status?
I received support from Craig Davies, the IMechE’s Business Development Manager for the South West. He reviewed my application and offered to have it peer reviewed. I also had support from colleagues at Babcock International who reviewed and supported my application. A massive thank you to Simon Reid and Tim Goode from Babcock who supported me through both CEng and Fellow applications.
Do you think being a Fellow will help you in your career and how?
Being a Fellow will certainly help me with my future career aspirations. Fellow status demonstrates my commitment to the engineering profession as well as my ability as an engineer to operate in complex and strategically important environments.
What has been your greatest/most interesting education/career achievement so far?
Aside from being the youngest IMechE Fellow, my other career achievements at Babcock International have been being part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering a highly complex and technical mid-life upgrade to a strategically important floating asset, which is used to support nuclear submarine maintenance operations. I was also accountable for and part of a team who won a Health and Safety award for the complex underwater demolition of a nuclear asset.
What are your top member benefits?
I am active within my local committee, I mentor developing engineers and conduct professional registration interviews - I get a lot of value out of my membership. Access to CPD events and free training are very valuable. In the past I have used the library and archives, particularly as a student when researching my assignments.
What advice would you give others aspiring to become Fellows?
Don’t be afraid to take on new opportunities if they are afforded to you, they are a chance to learn. When applying for Fellowship it is worth reviewing the requirements to understand whether you have a knowledge/experience gap that you can fill so you can submit a successful Fellow application.
Fellow is often considered for those in their later career due to the requirements set out, but don’t be afraid to apply if you feel you demonstrate the requirements earlier in your career.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
A difficult question! I have a couple of personal goals I intend to complete such as getting married this year! However, on a work level I aspire to become a Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) with the Association of Project Management (APM) as this will demonstrate my competence in project managing engineering programmes.
I am really enjoying my time at Babcock International especially with the challenges that are on the horizon, I see a lot of opportunity to further enhance my experience and career. Whether that is in the UK or international remains to be seen!